June 13, 2023 • 14 mins
For the 100th Anniversary of Star Lake Camp, the Salvation Army’s summer camp in Bloomingdale, NJ, they’re launching a program for children of the incarcerated. Our guest is Major Antonio Rosamilia, a former camper and now Co-Camp Director! For more information on Star Lake Camp and applications for campers and staff, visit starlake.camp.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:02):
Welcome to get connected with Nina delRio, a weekly conversation about fitness,
health and happenings in our community onone oh six point seven Light FM.
Good morning and thanks for listening toget connected. In the middle of summer,
the start of summer. Summer wouldnot be summer without summer camp.
And this year it's the one hundredthanniversary of summer at Star Lake Camp,
(00:25):
the Salvation Army summer camp in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, one that's actually not
just for kids. We're joined byco camp director Major Antonio Rosamilia. Thank
you for being on the show.Thank you as the light to be here.
You can find out more about StarLake Camp and to apply at Starlake
dot Camp. By the way,that's applications not only to be a camper,
(00:47):
but to be a camp counselor andwork there this summer. One of
the things I love about having conversationswith the Salvation Army is that the people
who there are lots of people whomight only know you from the kettles and
the thrift stores, and they gothe Salvation Army has a summer camp.
This is an organization that covers alot of territory. Yes, so the
Salvation Army not only does Kettle,but also we run children's program. Actually,
(01:11):
we're the second provider of music educationoutside the public school, which is
huge. A lot of people areblown away when we say that that we
provide a huge music program as wellat different community census in New York City
and throughout the country. And alot of those children also come to our
summer camp of residential campus Story Camp, which we are celebrating a hundred years
(01:37):
since nineteen twenty three is unbelievable,to be honest, but it's really a
remarkable accomplishment of the Salvation Army.And even in COVID nineteen in summer twenty
twenty, though we did not havechildren here, we did a camp kind
of an aunbox and we sent campgear to all of our children over downs
(02:00):
and children from New York City andcounties and communities. And it was through
that we were able to expise thechallenges of KOVID. We were able to
still have some kind of virtual starLake campers, So Starlake Camp in Bloomington,
New Jersey. If you could painta picture, what does it look
like? What's going on there?Oh? My goodness, it's she's imagined
(02:22):
four one hundred acres or she's purebeauty and as well as I she's imagined.
Children from New York City, whetherthey're from Brooklyn or Queens Staten,
Allen Bronze, Manhattan, constantly lookingat buildings, constantly on their phones,
constantly dealing with noise or ambulance orpolice or so on and so forth.
(02:44):
They come into this place. Wedon't allow them to come with their phones,
so they get disconnected from society.At the beginning, it's just like,
oh my goodness, what are doingwith myself without cell phone? What
do I do? I mean,this is a great time for me to
have a snapschot, But they can't. But they become children once again.
They start interacting with children. Inthe beginning, there's hesitant, there is
(03:07):
kind of weird for them. Platends the week that they're here, they
just love it. And there's tearsbecause they have to go back home to
reality and things like that. Butfor them, it's a safe heaven for
them to come to this place,and they just get connected with nature.
They see spiders, they see differentcreatures at camp in the rocks, and
(03:28):
as they climb as they walk aroundthe lake so on and so far,
as they jump into the lake andthings like that. It's just like they
overcome a lot of obstacles that theywere fearful in the beginning, and then
at the end of the summer orat the end of that week that they
were here, they're able to accomplishmore than they thought they were. The
idea that they come and they don'thave the phone, that's kind of a
(03:49):
big deal, right, especially forthe older kids, because I believe ages
six to eighteen, So when you'rea teenager, that's kind of like you're
one thing you've always got in yourhand, right, Yeah, I mean,
as you know, not only children, but adults as well. We
are have been addicted to technology andit's it's so good to get disconnected for
(04:10):
a little bit. She's breed airand she's like, look around, there's
trees. There's so much more thanelectronics. There's so much more than the
phone, and there's nature there.You start hearing the birds and so many
other things that nature provides to allof us, and they get reconnected with
a nature and it's just a beautifulthing. Not only for our children bowls
(04:33):
or our staff as well. Well, I really love watching you while you're
talking about this because you're very animated. You're talking with your hands and everybody
can't see that, but I cantell you're very excited. So I didn't
go to summer camp. Unfortunately,my sister went. I didn't go,
But everyone who goes has these amazingstories. What is your favorite part of
the camp and the experience, evenjust being an adult there a lot of
(04:57):
people come children's perticlar. They neverleft their house before, they never had
been away from mom or dad formore than a day or two, and
they come to this place and theydon't know nobody. They don't know the
other children, they don't know thecounselors, they don't know no one.
And then they're fearful. Some ofthem even cry a night. But by
the second day they start embracing,they start loving this whole atmosphere. Or
(05:23):
she's playing and the playground, ordoing arts and craft, or playing sports
or jumping in the lake, andsome of them overcome some of those obstacles,
like they couldn't they didn't know howto swim, because let's face the
New York City doesn't provide that.They don't have lakes for us to swim
more or too many swimming pools thanall those children New York City can jump
on. So we helped them throughall of those things and they leave learn
(05:47):
something new or swimming for the firsttime, never jump in the lake before,
or never did a climbing tower orsome of those things, and it's
just for us to see the change. Yes, I reached the top when
they do the climbing tower, oror I was able to canoe and abode
(06:09):
that they never have done that inthe entire life. And for them to
gravel a paddle and just go withit, it's just amazing and their smile,
that eyes, it's just something thatis beyond words. We're speaking with
the co camp director of Star LakeCamp, the Salvation Army Summer Camp in
Bloomingdale, New Jersey, Major AntonioRosameilia. You can find out more at
(06:30):
Starlake dot Camp. You're listening toget connected on one of six point seven
light FM. I'm Ina del Rio. You're taking applications for campers right now.
So it's how long is the stayand is there a financial requirement so
to speak? Yeah, the StarLake dot Camp. So you have preferred
they can apply. It is agesseven to twelve for the regular camp and
(06:53):
also for those who children that ourparents that don't want to release their children
for a whole week, they cancome for the one day camp experience for
this year so they can get abetter field so next year they have a
better understanding what they're applying to youFor those children or parents are a little
concerned about you know, I'm notsure about this year. My child's too
(07:15):
young, and things like that,so they can apply. Is there a
cost, not really, there's somecourse, some community center of church a
little bit just to bring them tocamping tolls and gas and things like that.
But those who have struggling financially,we can weigh that with no problem.
And I'm excited to announce that thisyear, for the very first time,
(07:40):
we're working with children that parents areincarcerated. We have started this new
program partnership with Prison Fellowship, andthat we're working with six hundred or so
children that parents incarcerated, and she'srooting to them, that she's letting them
know that they're not forgotten and there'sstill hope for each one of them.
(08:01):
That's a really really cool program.I think one of the other great things
about this camp is that it's alsoavailable to seniors ages fifty five and up.
Yes. Absolutely. We have twosides of our camp. One side
is the youth sign and there's aloud and it's very dynamic and there's a
running around and there's um. Theother side of camp is more cater for
(08:22):
seniors in our communities and they canhave the same experience that we're have in
a little slower pace. Well,it's beautiful to see the seniors coming to
the youth side as well. Anduh and it's just coming to greet the
children and she's way of them fromfar away, and you see the grandparents
or grandmothers that there is not theirkids, but at least they get connected
(08:46):
from far away. She's waving.It's just like a beautiful, beautiful time
that seniors as well, I have. Obviously, they will have their own
program areas and they have their ownlake in the other side, and they
have a blast sometime the warning wesee them walking around camp and doing their
exercises and it's just remarkable though weare not together doing the same program,
(09:07):
but we see them to time totime. It's beautiful to see the children
and the seniors interacting from far away, she is waving in each other is
just beautiful. Well, it's funnybecause it's it's says seniors ages fifty five
and up. I'm not that farfrom from fifty five, so it's like,
okay, okay, seniors, you'tto be that old. So this
this camp, I think I wonder, you know, besides you know,
(09:28):
climbing the tower and fishing and canoeingand all those things, what do you
hope kids take away from the campbesides all the activities. Does the camp
have a philosophy? Yes? Absolutely. One of our mission statement is others,
not only from the staff perspective,but from the chillion's protective perspective.
It's just always carrying about our neighborsand as we all know with the Salvation
(09:54):
armies of faith based organization and Uand we and take nature and God and
happiness and health part of our missionstatement. Actually, one of our statement
written in Iraq one hundred years agois when KEMP was dedicated in nineteen twenty
three, it was about faith,it was about nature, it was about
(10:18):
happiness. And one hundred years later, I'm happy to report that we still
maintain the same mission statement, thesame goals for children to not only get
connected with nature, can connect towith God, get connected with one another,
and leave out of this place moreholistically fulfilled that they have experienced something
(10:39):
greater than them themselves. You're alsohiring summer camp staff. It's all kinds
of people, nurses, kitchen anddining, lifeguards, and I wonder that
that sort of philosophy when you're bringingpeople in, you think about that as
well. Absolutely, absolutely, Justlast night, as a matter of fact,
four staff members just came in,and we hire around fifteen percent internationals.
(11:03):
They come from Africa, from Europe, from Central America, Caribbean,
South America, from all over thecountry, and it's just beautiful to come
and share different cultures, but thesame idea of helping others and helping each
other out, and the children andstaff as they come in, they have
a holistic experience of international flavor aswell as New York City flavor, as
(11:28):
well as staff that come in fromFlorida, from Iowa, from North Carolina,
South Carolina, at different locations throughoutthe states as well, and they
sho come together for unbelievable summer andone way or another week we stay connected.
A marriage happens two years later becausepeople met here. I see some
of the staff that go to Europeor go to Africa because they had made
(11:52):
those connections here in starting Camda summerand they want to stay connected and it's
just travel and see each other throughoutthe Years's just unbelievable time that they have
here, as well as the children. So Starlight Camp is based in New
Jersey. As far as you know, how many other summer camps does the
Salvation Army operate across the country.I believe probably over thirty or forty residential
(12:16):
camp that the Salvation Army owns onthose camps, and acres and acres and
acres of them. I have beenin a few of them, like in
Texas or Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, whetherwe're all over the US. It's just
beautiful, whether it's this camp orthe other camps. Some of the children
(12:37):
come with ideas like I love campso much, or the Salvation Army camps
so much that they cannot wait tillthey are seventeen or eighteen till so they
can start comeback as a staff memberand give back and work. Because it
was such a remarkable time for thecamper that they cannot wait to become a
staff member at camp. She wasbeautiful. On a sort of personal note,
(12:58):
I understand you are co camp directorwith your wife, So did you
come through sort of grow up inthis the camp system. Yes, absolutely
I was. I was a camperin nineteen ninety three, new in the
country as well. I didn't muchknow much English, and I can relay
some some of those immigrants that havebeen coming here, especially the past year
(13:24):
or so, is unknown as newculture and so many things. But I
felt welcome in this place. Ifelt like I was part of the family.
Though I didn't speak much the languageor didn't understand the culture very well,
I was, I felt welcome,and I always sold out ever since.
(13:46):
Again, the camper application and theapplication for summer staff are available on
the website Starlake dot Camp. Ourguest has been the director of Starlake Camp,
Major Antonio Rosamilia. Thank you forbeing on get Connected. Thank you.
This has been get Connected with Ninadel Rio on one oh six point
seven LIGHTFM. The views and opinionsof our guests do not necessarily reflect the
(14:09):
views of the station. If youmissed any part of our show or want
to share it, Visit our websitefor downloads and podcasts at one oh six
seven lightfm dot com. Thanks forlistening.
Welcome to get connected with Nina delRio, a weekly conversation about fitness,
health and happenings in our community onone oh six point seven Light FM.
Good morning and thanks for listening toget connected. In the middle of summer,
the start of summer. Summer wouldnot be summer without summer camp.
And this year it's the one hundredthanniversary of summer at Star Lake Camp,
(00:25):
the Salvation Army summer camp in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, one that's actually not
just for kids. We're joined byco camp director Major Antonio Rosamilia. Thank
you for being on the show.Thank you as the light to be here.
You can find out more about StarLake Camp and to apply at Starlake
dot Camp. By the way,that's applications not only to be a camper,
(00:47):
but to be a camp counselor andwork there this summer. One of
the things I love about having conversationswith the Salvation Army is that the people
who there are lots of people whomight only know you from the kettles and
the thrift stores, and they gothe Salvation Army has a summer camp.
This is an organization that covers alot of territory. Yes, so the
Salvation Army not only does Kettle,but also we run children's program. Actually,
(01:11):
we're the second provider of music educationoutside the public school, which is
huge. A lot of people areblown away when we say that that we
provide a huge music program as wellat different community census in New York City
and throughout the country. And alot of those children also come to our
summer camp of residential campus Story Camp, which we are celebrating a hundred years
(01:37):
since nineteen twenty three is unbelievable,to be honest, but it's really a
remarkable accomplishment of the Salvation Army.And even in COVID nineteen in summer twenty
twenty, though we did not havechildren here, we did a camp kind
of an aunbox and we sent campgear to all of our children over downs
(02:00):
and children from New York City andcounties and communities. And it was through
that we were able to expise thechallenges of KOVID. We were able to
still have some kind of virtual starLake campers, So Starlake Camp in Bloomington,
New Jersey. If you could painta picture, what does it look
like? What's going on there?Oh? My goodness, it's she's imagined
(02:22):
four one hundred acres or she's purebeauty and as well as I she's imagined.
Children from New York City, whetherthey're from Brooklyn or Queens Staten,
Allen Bronze, Manhattan, constantly lookingat buildings, constantly on their phones,
constantly dealing with noise or ambulance orpolice or so on and so forth.
(02:44):
They come into this place. Wedon't allow them to come with their phones,
so they get disconnected from society.At the beginning, it's just like,
oh my goodness, what are doingwith myself without cell phone? What
do I do? I mean,this is a great time for me to
have a snapschot, But they can't. But they become children once again.
They start interacting with children. Inthe beginning, there's hesitant, there is
(03:07):
kind of weird for them. Platends the week that they're here, they
just love it. And there's tearsbecause they have to go back home to
reality and things like that. Butfor them, it's a safe heaven for
them to come to this place,and they just get connected with nature.
They see spiders, they see differentcreatures at camp in the rocks, and
(03:28):
as they climb as they walk aroundthe lake so on and so far,
as they jump into the lake andthings like that. It's just like they
overcome a lot of obstacles that theywere fearful in the beginning, and then
at the end of the summer orat the end of that week that they
were here, they're able to accomplishmore than they thought they were. The
idea that they come and they don'thave the phone, that's kind of a
(03:49):
big deal, right, especially forthe older kids, because I believe ages
six to eighteen, So when you'rea teenager, that's kind of like you're
one thing you've always got in yourhand, right, Yeah, I mean,
as you know, not only children, but adults as well. We
are have been addicted to technology andit's it's so good to get disconnected for
(04:10):
a little bit. She's breed airand she's like, look around, there's
trees. There's so much more thanelectronics. There's so much more than the
phone, and there's nature there.You start hearing the birds and so many
other things that nature provides to allof us, and they get reconnected with
a nature and it's just a beautifulthing. Not only for our children bowls
(04:33):
or our staff as well. Well, I really love watching you while you're
talking about this because you're very animated. You're talking with your hands and everybody
can't see that, but I cantell you're very excited. So I didn't
go to summer camp. Unfortunately,my sister went. I didn't go,
But everyone who goes has these amazingstories. What is your favorite part of
the camp and the experience, evenjust being an adult there a lot of
(04:57):
people come children's perticlar. They neverleft their house before, they never had
been away from mom or dad formore than a day or two, and
they come to this place and theydon't know nobody. They don't know the
other children, they don't know thecounselors, they don't know no one.
And then they're fearful. Some ofthem even cry a night. But by
the second day they start embracing,they start loving this whole atmosphere. Or
(05:23):
she's playing and the playground, ordoing arts and craft, or playing sports
or jumping in the lake, andsome of them overcome some of those obstacles,
like they couldn't they didn't know howto swim, because let's face the
New York City doesn't provide that.They don't have lakes for us to swim
more or too many swimming pools thanall those children New York City can jump
on. So we helped them throughall of those things and they leave learn
(05:47):
something new or swimming for the firsttime, never jump in the lake before,
or never did a climbing tower orsome of those things, and it's
just for us to see the change. Yes, I reached the top when
they do the climbing tower, oror I was able to canoe and abode
(06:09):
that they never have done that inthe entire life. And for them to
gravel a paddle and just go withit, it's just amazing and their smile,
that eyes, it's just something thatis beyond words. We're speaking with
the co camp director of Star LakeCamp, the Salvation Army Summer Camp in
Bloomingdale, New Jersey, Major AntonioRosameilia. You can find out more at
(06:30):
Starlake dot Camp. You're listening toget connected on one of six point seven
light FM. I'm Ina del Rio. You're taking applications for campers right now.
So it's how long is the stayand is there a financial requirement so
to speak? Yeah, the StarLake dot Camp. So you have preferred
they can apply. It is agesseven to twelve for the regular camp and
(06:53):
also for those who children that ourparents that don't want to release their children
for a whole week, they cancome for the one day camp experience for
this year so they can get abetter field so next year they have a
better understanding what they're applying to youFor those children or parents are a little
concerned about you know, I'm notsure about this year. My child's too
(07:15):
young, and things like that,so they can apply. Is there a
cost, not really, there's somecourse, some community center of church a
little bit just to bring them tocamping tolls and gas and things like that.
But those who have struggling financially,we can weigh that with no problem.
And I'm excited to announce that thisyear, for the very first time,
(07:40):
we're working with children that parents areincarcerated. We have started this new
program partnership with Prison Fellowship, andthat we're working with six hundred or so
children that parents incarcerated, and she'srooting to them, that she's letting them
know that they're not forgotten and there'sstill hope for each one of them.
(08:01):
That's a really really cool program.I think one of the other great things
about this camp is that it's alsoavailable to seniors ages fifty five and up.
Yes. Absolutely. We have twosides of our camp. One side
is the youth sign and there's aloud and it's very dynamic and there's a
running around and there's um. Theother side of camp is more cater for
(08:22):
seniors in our communities and they canhave the same experience that we're have in
a little slower pace. Well,it's beautiful to see the seniors coming to
the youth side as well. Anduh and it's just coming to greet the
children and she's way of them fromfar away, and you see the grandparents
or grandmothers that there is not theirkids, but at least they get connected
(08:46):
from far away. She's waving.It's just like a beautiful, beautiful time
that seniors as well, I have. Obviously, they will have their own
program areas and they have their ownlake in the other side, and they
have a blast sometime the warning wesee them walking around camp and doing their
exercises and it's just remarkable though weare not together doing the same program,
(09:07):
but we see them to time totime. It's beautiful to see the children
and the seniors interacting from far away, she is waving in each other is
just beautiful. Well, it's funnybecause it's it's says seniors ages fifty five
and up. I'm not that farfrom from fifty five, so it's like,
okay, okay, seniors, you'tto be that old. So this
this camp, I think I wonder, you know, besides you know,
(09:28):
climbing the tower and fishing and canoeingand all those things, what do you
hope kids take away from the campbesides all the activities. Does the camp
have a philosophy? Yes? Absolutely. One of our mission statement is others,
not only from the staff perspective,but from the chillion's protective perspective.
It's just always carrying about our neighborsand as we all know with the Salvation
(09:54):
armies of faith based organization and Uand we and take nature and God and
happiness and health part of our missionstatement. Actually, one of our statement
written in Iraq one hundred years agois when KEMP was dedicated in nineteen twenty
three, it was about faith,it was about nature, it was about
(10:18):
happiness. And one hundred years later, I'm happy to report that we still
maintain the same mission statement, thesame goals for children to not only get
connected with nature, can connect towith God, get connected with one another,
and leave out of this place moreholistically fulfilled that they have experienced something
(10:39):
greater than them themselves. You're alsohiring summer camp staff. It's all kinds
of people, nurses, kitchen anddining, lifeguards, and I wonder that
that sort of philosophy when you're bringingpeople in, you think about that as
well. Absolutely, absolutely, Justlast night, as a matter of fact,
four staff members just came in,and we hire around fifteen percent internationals.
(11:03):
They come from Africa, from Europe, from Central America, Caribbean,
South America, from all over thecountry, and it's just beautiful to come
and share different cultures, but thesame idea of helping others and helping each
other out, and the children andstaff as they come in, they have
a holistic experience of international flavor aswell as New York City flavor, as
(11:28):
well as staff that come in fromFlorida, from Iowa, from North Carolina,
South Carolina, at different locations throughoutthe states as well, and they
sho come together for unbelievable summer andone way or another week we stay connected.
A marriage happens two years later becausepeople met here. I see some
of the staff that go to Europeor go to Africa because they had made
(11:52):
those connections here in starting Camda summerand they want to stay connected and it's
just travel and see each other throughoutthe Years's just unbelievable time that they have
here, as well as the children. So Starlight Camp is based in New
Jersey. As far as you know, how many other summer camps does the
Salvation Army operate across the country.I believe probably over thirty or forty residential
(12:16):
camp that the Salvation Army owns onthose camps, and acres and acres and
acres of them. I have beenin a few of them, like in
Texas or Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, whetherwe're all over the US. It's just
beautiful, whether it's this camp orthe other camps. Some of the children
(12:37):
come with ideas like I love campso much, or the Salvation Army camps
so much that they cannot wait tillthey are seventeen or eighteen till so they
can start comeback as a staff memberand give back and work. Because it
was such a remarkable time for thecamper that they cannot wait to become a
staff member at camp. She wasbeautiful. On a sort of personal note,
(12:58):
I understand you are co camp directorwith your wife, So did you
come through sort of grow up inthis the camp system. Yes, absolutely
I was. I was a camperin nineteen ninety three, new in the
country as well. I didn't muchknow much English, and I can relay
some some of those immigrants that havebeen coming here, especially the past year
(13:24):
or so, is unknown as newculture and so many things. But I
felt welcome in this place. Ifelt like I was part of the family.
Though I didn't speak much the languageor didn't understand the culture very well,
I was, I felt welcome,and I always sold out ever since.
(13:46):
Again, the camper application and theapplication for summer staff are available on
the website Starlake dot Camp. Ourguest has been the director of Starlake Camp,
Major Antonio Rosamilia. Thank you forbeing on get Connected. Thank you.
This has been get Connected with Ninadel Rio on one oh six point
seven LIGHTFM. The views and opinionsof our guests do not necessarily reflect the
(14:09):
views of the station. If youmissed any part of our show or want
to share it, Visit our websitefor downloads and podcasts at one oh six
seven lightfm dot com. Thanks forlistening.
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